The field of the invention relates to computers and more particularly to signal processing systems.
Signal processing systems are generally known. Typically, such systems are designed for some particular signal processing, switching or routing goal (e.g., Carrier class routers which direct internet protocol traffic, Enterprise switches which manage corporate Ethernet traffic, Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexing transmission equipment which transmit telephony and data-traffic over optical fibers.) Often such systems are designed by first defining a set of inputs and outputs. Inputs and outputs may be categorized according to processing requirements. Often some inputs/outputs have special processing requirements (e.g., Fourier analysis of spectral components for speech recognition, categorization of trends, etc.).
To achieve overall processing goals, a number of different signal processing engines must be designed or purchased. Often the individual processing engines are specified as discrete devices to take advantage of commercially available processing boards.
While such commercially available devices are effective, they often have input/output requirements which can overwhelm most backplane systems. Accordingly, a need exists for a communications system which is capable of operating in a high-speed environment, but which is capable of reconfiguration where necessary.